Elapsed time recording device



Oct. 21, 1941. H. ABBQTI' ETAL 2,259,577

ELAPSED TIME RECORDING DEVICE Filed Jan. -14, 1939 7 Sheets-Sheet 1 1 f v Q 6| 60 w *mmmi V I0 Mam JLNVENTORS i m Man 1 FlG.2 a, BY M. 0/04. wk

8 ATTORNEY.

Oct- 21, 19 1. H. ABBOTT ETAL 2,259,677

ELAPSED TIME RECORDING DEVICE Filed Jan. 14, 1939 7 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3

QLNENTSRS na 0 4 BY 38% C, oodd KP; Mud

ATTORNEY.

Oct. 21, 1941. H. ABBOTT Er AL 2,259,677

ELAPSED TIME RECORDING DEVICE Filed Jan. 14, 1939 FIG.4

7 Sheets-Sheet 3 m C Mona .65..

ATTORNEY.

, Oct. 21, 1941. H. ABBOTT ETAL v ELAPS ED TIME RECORDING DEVICE Filed Jan. 14, 1939 7 Sheets-Sheet 4 VENT 6 ATTORNEY.

Oct. 21, 1.941. I ABBOTT L 2,259,677

ELAPSED TIME RECORDING DEVICE 1 I l6 v 0 I IO Jf dc U c M 2 Wow MM;

' ATTORNEY.

Oct. 21, 1941. QABBOT-r TA 2,259,677

ELAPSED TIME RECORDING DEVICE Filed Jan. 14, 1939 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 wffi fil BY hawk! ATTORNEY.

Oct. 21,1941. H. ABBOTT ETAL 2,259,677

ELAPSED TIME RECORDING DEVICE Filed Jan. 14, 1959' 7 Sheets-S het 7 F'IG..Ll.

FIG. 14;.

INVEIVIORJ ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 21, 1941 ELAPSED TIME RECORDING DEVICE Henry Abbott, East Orange, and William C.

Moodie, Montclair, N. J., assignors to The Calculagraph Company, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application January 14, 1939, Serial No. 250,872

2 Claims.

anism for printing the time of the day and the elapsed time are provided within a small rectangular casing. A platen holder is removably mounted on top of this casing and has a ticket chamber extending over the surface of the casing.

A visible clock and gears for operating it are provided in the platen holder. Operating connections between platen holder, clock driving gears and the clock movement are outside the limits of the ticket chamber so that tickets inserted will lie below the entire width of the visibl clock. Means are provided for permitting the slipping of part of the printing mechanism and the gears driving the hands of the visible clock with respect to the clock movement. The printing be reset by hand without interfering with the smooth continued operation of the clock movement.

These and other features of the invention will be explained in the following description of a preferred embodiment and defined in the appended claims. Variants will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in the art, and some of the features will be found also useful in other devices and combinations than the ones we have specified.

In the drawings,

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of the device;

Fig. 2 is a side elevation with portions of the casing cut away;

Fig. 2 is a transverse cross-section of the platen holder along lines 2a-2a of Fig. 2;

Fig. 3 another side elevation like Fig. 2, but illustrating some of the mechanism in vertical cross-section and with all the casing and some of the framework showing in Fig. 2 removed;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the ticket plate;

Fig. 4 is a horizontal cross-sectional along lines 44 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation, partly in cross-section, similar to Fig. 2 but illustrating the other side of the machine;

Fig. 5 is an enlarged detail of the clock mechanism;

mechanism and the visible clock hands may thus Fig. 6 is a horizontal cross-section along lines 66 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the key;

Fig. 7 is a horizontal cross-section along lines l'-l of Fig. 3;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the levers for actuating the printing mechanism;

Fig. 9 is a side elevation of the same;

Fig. 9 is an enlarged side elevation of some of the mechanism shown in dotted lines in Fig. 9;

Fig. 10 illustrates in side elevation some of the detail partly concealed in Fig. 9;

Figs. 11 to 15 illustrate portions of a ticket bearing the various records that may b printed by means of the device, Fig. 11, illustrating the time-of-day record on the ticket; Fig. 12, the two elapsed time dials imprinted on the ticket with the serial number of the machine; Fig. 13, the ticket bearing the 'records of both Figs. 11 and 12; Fig. 14 shows the minutes and seconds elapsed time pointers imprinted on a ticket; and Fig. 15 shows a ticket bearing the complete record of what is shown in Figs. 13 and 14.

When it is desired to record on a card or ticket the time of day as indicated (Figs. 1 and 3) by a minute hand I and an hour hand 2, on a visible clock dial 3, the operator places the card 4 (Fig. 11) flat on the edge of an L-shaped ticket plate 6 (Fig. l) suitably fastened to a frame "I of the device and extending partly around the lower and the right-hand borders thereof as viewed in Figs.

'1 and 6. The upper edge (as viewed in Fig. 1)

of the ticket is guided along a guide 8 formed in platen holder Ill. Guide 8 constitutes the lateral wall of a chamber Ii (Figs. 2 and 3) formed within the platen holder Ii], and into which the ticket may be slid. A rubber platen 9 fastened to the bottom of the platen holder 10 constitutes the roof of chamber H and an inking ribbon I2 which extends horizontally below the ticket plate 6 constitutes the bottom of the chamber. One side and the end of the chamber are open so that the ticket lying on plate 6 may protrude beyond the platen holder [0. The leading edge of the ticket will be arrested by a shoulder [4 (Figs. 1 and 6) of the platen holder I0 when the ticket is pushed into chamber ll. As shown in Figs. 3 and 6, the L-shaped plate 6 does not extend below platen 9 so as to leave the ribbon l2 unobstructed below platen 9 suitably spaced therefrom. The plate 6 is slightly bent up to form a raised ledge I3 (Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 6). This will raise the ticket towards the platen when its edge is placed on plate 6 and slid thereon towards chamber H. The ledge 13 is of slightly greater width than rib- Icon l2 and projects within the chamber l i. The relatively stiff ticket will thus be held away from ribbon l2 and guarded from smudging the lower edge of the ticket projecting from platen holder iii resting on plate 6 (Figs. 1 and 6).

The dotted lines in Fig. 6 indicate the hidden outlines of the ticket plate 5 and the recess in the lower face of the platen holder If] within which the rubber platen 9 is held.

It will be noticed in Fig. 2 that the guide 8 is set back with respect to the edge of the rubber platen 9. If the two were flush, then the edge of the ticket pressed against guide 8 would often get caught on the rough edge of, the rubber platen 9, because it is well-nigh impossible commercially to cut rubber so straight as to form a perfect fit with a metallic surface. In the present construction the rubber platen 9 is set in a groove and the surface of the guide 8 is far enough removed from the edge of the rubber to insure that the edge of the ticket l will contact with the metallic guide surface.

To prevent the leading edge of the ticket l pushed against stop M from curling down and, instead of abutting against the stop, protruding within the crack between the stop IQ and the edge of the ticket plate 6, a projection 6 (Figs. 1 and 6) is provided on the latter to hold up the leading edge of the ticket in alignment with the stop i l.

The frame (see particularly Fig. 7) consists of a casting having a side l and arms l and 1, and a side i fastened to arms 1 and 'i". The two sides l and 1 are held together at the bottom by a plate T cast in one piece with a bearing 5 projecting Within the frame. The frame is open on all sides for easy access to the mechanism carried therein.

The operator now pushes back a right-hand lever it into the position it indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 1. th frame side I and may be rocked back and forth within a depressed portion of 1 between stops E5 8 The lower end of lever I8 is keyed to head 19 of a stub shaft 20 which projects through the frame 1 and the end of which is carried in the casting 5 (Fig. 3). As best shown in Figs. 8-10, a casting comprising a collar 2| is fastened by means of a pin 22 to the shaft 26 and will be rotated therewith when the lever i8 is moved. An arm 23 projects from this casting. This arm is substantially like an arm 24 projecting from and forming part of a companion casting 25 pinned at 26 on a stub shaft 2'! provided in alignment with shaft 26 and rotatable under the control of a left-hand lever 23 keyed to head 28 of shaft 2?. The shaft 21 rotates in bearing 5 and side i of the frame.

The lever 23 is pivoted at 30 to a link 3!, the other end of which is pivotally mounted at 32 to a lever 38 of a double bell crank, the two other levers of which are indicated at 34 and 35.

Normally, a coiled spring 36 tends to rotate shaft 2% in a clockwise direction, as shown in Fig. 8, and the double bell crank 33, 34, 35 in a counter-clockwise direction. This is accomplished by fastening one end of spring 36 to a plate El which is rotatably mounted on a hub (not shown) of the frame I through which the shaft 2%) projects. The plate 3! is provided with a lug 38 bent at right angles andengaging the rear of th arm 23 in alignment with the pivot pointdfi. The plate 37 also has a stop 39 which, after a limited rotation of the plate, engages a stop (not shown) projecting from the frame I.

The lever extends parallel with Similarly, the other end of the spring 36 is hooked into a plate iil on a shaft 45. A lug 52 projecting from plat til engages the pivot pin 32 of the link 35. A stop 43 of plate 48 cooperates withastop d4 projecting from frame I. As shown in Fig. 5, the stop A l is screw-threaded so as to permit angular setting of the plate 4%].

It will be seen, therefore, that through the agency of plate 37, the spring 36 will rotate the shaft 20 in one direction and at the same time longitudinally displace the link 3| until the stop 39 engages the co-acting stop projecting from the frame. Similarly, through the agency of plate 46 the spring 3% will rotate the double crank 33, 34, 35 and displace the link 3| in the opposite direction until stop 43 engages stop id on frame i.

he displacement of the righ -hand lever l8 into position if will therefore, as viewed, for instance, in Fig. 9, result in the rotation of the double bell crank 33, t l, 35 in a counter-clockwise direction. The bell crank arm St has projecting through its end an adjusting screw 35 against which rests the lower free end of an arbor it. As best shown in Fig. 3, the upper end of arbor 26 carries a lifter 4i through which passes the elongated hub 53 of a time-of-day printing dial l5. Seated on the lifter ill and spacing it from the dial i5 is a hub d9 of a large gear wheel 50. The wheel 59 carries near its periphery a triangular marker M, which can be seen also in Fig. 7. A steel hub 54 surrounds the elongated hub :23 of the dial l5 and spaces therefrom the outside hub 39 of the gear wheel 5%. The steel hub 53 extends from top mounting plate 55 of th clock movement.

When the arbor 46 is lifted by the arm 3% of the double crank, through the agency of lifter t1, gear wheel 5%! will be lifted as well as the time-ofday dial I5. The triangular finger 5i and th type carried by the dial '65 will be pressed against the lower surface of the inking ribbon i2 and the lower surface of the ticket 4 resting against platen 9, and will imprint thereon what is seen in Fig. 16. It will be noticed that the triangular pointer 5! will leave a mark 5i" on the paper and the dial 15 will leave a mark consisting of a circle of numerals and lines indicating the twenty-four hours of the day. The position of th triangular mark M with respect to the numerals will indicate the hour of the day when the handle was actuated. The imprint of an arrow 52' within the circle of numerals will indicate the minutes. The minutes pointer is indicated as 52 in Figs. 7 and This pointer 52 rests on a hub provided within a central cavity of the time-of-day dial l5 and it is carried by a shaft 53 which projects through the hubs 38 and 49.

We shall now xplain how the clockwork controls the displacement of the minute hand 52 and triangle 5? so as to indicate with respect to dial l5 the time of day when the handle I8 is rotated as above described.

A synchronous lectric motor 56 of the usual type is operated under the control of alternating current sent from a central station. The two terminals of the power line are connected to two spring contacts mounted on a contact block 51 of insulating material which is fastened to the inside of a casing 533. One of these spring terminals is indicated at the other being identical with it. When the frame 7 including, of course, the motor 56, is inserted within the casing 58, two terminals mounted on a block of insulating material 5t fastened to frame 1 make a iiib'bin'g' contact with the spring clips 59. One of these terminals is indicated at 6|, the other being identical therewith. Thus the electrical connection with the motor will be established and broken as the frame I is inserted into or removed from the casing 58.

A pinion 62 on the shaft of the rotor of electric motor 56 drives a train of gears, the first of which is 63 (Fig. 2). The clock movement gearing 1. e., the gearing below the platen holder I and gear 22I on arbor 220 and gear 93 on arbor 94, is of the conventional type. The second hand 64 of the visible clock hands (Figs. 1-3) is rotated through the agency of a gear 65 mounted on the second shaft 66 within the platen holder ID. This gear, together with all other gears and pinions in the platen holder I0, except 93 and 22I will be referred to as platen holder gears which, through 93 and HI are coupled with the clock movement gears and thus with the electric motor 56.

The pinion 62 rotates at a high speed which is reduced and transmits the power of motor 56 to the second hand 64 through a train of gears and pinions of the conventional type (most of them not shown) in the clock movement including 63 (Fig. 2), 86 (Fig. pinion I36 (Fig. 5), gear 66 (Fig. 5), pinions 95 and 93 on arbor 94 and platen holder gear 65 (Figs. 3 and 5).

The minute hand I of the visible clock is rotated through the agency of a platen holder gear 61 fastened to a hub (not shown in detail) which surrounds the second shaft 66. The power from motor 56 (Fig. 2) to gear 61 (Figs. 3 and 5) is transmitted through a conventional clock movement train of gears (most of it not shown) including pinion 62 (Fig. 2), gear 63, gear 86 (Fig. 5), shaft 86, pinion 88, gear 89, pinion 225, arbor 226, and pinion 22I. Similarly, the hour hand 2 of the visible clock is rotated through the agency of an hour gear 68 of the platen holder gearing (Figs. 3, 5 and 6) which is fastened on a hub 68 carrying the hour hand, this hub surrounding the hub of the minute hand. Power is transmitted to platen holder gear 68 through pinion 6'! in the platen holder (Figs. 3 and 6), gear 61, and pinion 61 riveted to gear 61. The visible clock hands and their operating platen holder gears are mounted within a recess in the top of platen holder II) which recess is closed by clock casing 3.

The gearing of the clock movement including 62, 63 and other conventional gearing actuates a gear 69 (Figs. 3 and 7) through which the seconds elapsed time pointer 70 and associated seconds dial I! and rotated through gear 229 fastened to the arbor I04 (Fig. 3). Through gear 69 and shaft 16 and pinion 10 fastened thereon (Fig. 3), a gear 19 rotatably mounted on arbor IOI (Fig. 9) directly behind shaft II9 drives through pinion 19, mounted on a common hub with gear 10 a gear II to rotate the minutes elapsed time pointer arbor I03 (Figs. 3, 9, 9), pointer I2 and associated dial I6. The gearing is such that the seconds pointer I9 and associated dial H are caused to perform one complete revolution during the period of one minute, i. e., during one complete revolution of the visible second hand 64 of the clock. The minutes elapsed time pointer 12 and associated dial I6 are caused to perform one revolution during thirty minutes.

The rotor 56 and pinion 62 are coupled through the gear 63 to the seconds printing pointer I0 through the agency of a gear 226 (Fig. 3). Connected through a coiled spring 221 with gear 69, the latter engages a gear 229 which is mounted on the arbor I04 carrying the seconds pointer I9.- The purpose of the spring coupling is not to interfere with the rotation of gear '63 while the seconds pointer and its arbor I04 are pressed up against the ticket. While the seconds pointer and its arbor are thus held against rotation, the gear 69 which remains in engagement with 229, and the gear 226 which is continuously being rotated by the gear 63, will simply wind up the spring 227 for a limited time. The spring is so dimensioned that this may continue for almost a minute. In the meantime the operator will have released the lever 28 or I8, whereupon the coiled spring 22'! will unwind until a pin 230, which is carried by the arbor of gear 69, engages a pin 23I on the gear 226.

The upper end of the shaft 94 (Fig. 5) which, through the agency of pinion 93 drives the visible seconds hand 64 of the clock, is journaled in the platen holder Ill. Similarly journaled in the platen holder is a shaft 220 which, through the agency of pinion 22I Figs. 5 and 6), drives the visible minute and hour hands I and 2 of the clock. To prevent injury of the shaft bearings, pinions, gears, and shafts, the lower ends of these shafts project through the lower plate 222 of the clock movement and are seated on leaf springs 224 and 223, respectively, fastened to plate 222. These springs will permit up-anddown movement of the shafts 94 and 226, the pinion 95 on shaft 94 and a pinion 225 on shaft 220 being wide enough to insure continuous engagement with the gears 89 and 86 that mesh with these pinions. The bearings for the upper ends of shafts 94 and 220 are in that part of the platen holder which serves as a casing for the platen gears. These bearings have tapered openings so as to guide the shaft ends into their bearln seats.

If, during adjustment or cleaning of the machine, the time-of-day printing head I5 is displaced so that upon reassembling the machine it is found that the imprint made therewith does not correspond to the indications of the visible hands on the clock, the two may be brought into agreement by moving shaft 220 down against the tension of spring 223 until the pinion 22I disengages its associated gear 61 through which it drives the visible hands. The short end 80 of the key BI may now be inserted in the keyhole 82 to push the pinion 84 into engagement with the gear 61, and thus reset the visible hands I and 2 into the position in which the printing dial 1 5 and associated printing mechanism appears to be. After the visible hand and time-of-day imprint (Fig. 16) are in agreement, the shaft 220 is permitted to be moved up into its normal position by spring 223 (Fig. 5) when pinion 225 is in engagement with gear 89. The visible hands and time-of-day printer may now be set by inserting the short end 80 of key BI into opening 82 -becaus the time-of-the-day printing dial indit s h u s whereas isib e di l 3 y 12 hours. l,

It will be seen, there o e, t a hen t lever i8 isv actuated as above described the imprint shown in Fig. 11 will record the hours and minutes as indicated by the visible clockhands.

Since it is important that the indication as shown in Fig. 11 be always instrict accord with the visible clock, means are provided to reset the p nt g an ular hou Po n 5| and i u pointer 52v in unison withthehour and minute hands of the visible clock without disturbing the balance of the mechanism.

The square, short end 80 of a key 81 (Fig. 6?) is inserted through a key hole 82 in the outer clock casing 3? on the platen holder H]. The key hole may be covered up by a keyhole cover 83. The end of the key 86 will project into a square socket to engage a pinion 3% (Fig. 5) provided within a cavity of the platen holder. It will depress the pinion 84 against the tension of a coiled spring 85 and force it into meshing engagement with the platen gear El (Figs. 3 and 6)' through which the visible hour and minute hands are rotated. The pinion 84 cannot be depressed farther down, because the shoulder Bi on the key will against clock casing 3 Since, as above explained, the visible hour and minute hands are geared with the clock movement gears in the same manner as the triangular hour printing pointer 5i and minute printing pointer 52, the latter are also rotated in response to the setting of the visible hour and minute hands. The rest of the clock movement mechanism and the elapsed time printing mechanism are not affected during this resetting operation for the following reasons;

The drive from the electric motor 55 to the visible minute and hour hands l, 2, as well as the time-of-day printing mechanism 5| and 52 I is supplied (see Figs. 5 and 5=-) through gear 85; hub 8?, pinion 88, and then one gear train starting with a gear $9 and leading to the timeoi-day printing mechanism l5, El and 52, and another train of gears which terminates in the platen gears (55, 61, 68 (Fig. 3).

In, order not to interrupt the operation of the motor, a frictional coupling is provided between the pinion 88 and the gear 85, said frictional coupling being shown in detail in Fig. 5 As shown f ticket.

. dial ll.

the recordis made, must nowperform thefirst operation whereby the ticket will be marked, so that later, upon the termination of the period of tim e, the elapsed timemay'be recorded thereon. For this purpose the operator will print on the ticket 4 two circular scales I6 and H for the elapsed seconds and minutes, and a numeral; in the present case 23d, identifying the particular. devic used in making the record on this k This printed record Ii" and I6 (Fig. 12) is Ina de by the dials I1 and H5 in the followm ma n t The operator movers right-hand lever 98 into the iorward position against stop lt indicated in dottecl linesin Fig. 1 at it". The lever will rotate through the head 19, the shaft 253 in the opposite direction from the direction in which it was rotated in the previously assumed case, as viewed, for instance, in Fig. 9,' the double bell crank lever 33 3t, 35, will be rotated in a clockwise direction. The lever 35 is provided with an adjusting screw tilt which engages the lower end of an arbor lbl. Fastened to the upper end of this arbor is a T-piece I82 which has two per= fora tions at its ends through which pass, respec= tively, an arbor m3 and an arbor w n The arbor its carries the elapsed minutes pointer '12 lo cated within the dial IE and the arbor it l carries the elapsed seconds pointer 16 located within the As best shown in Fig. 3 in connection L with pointer ill, a pin 155 projects from the lower surface thereof and engages the dial i? so that the arbor iii-i will rotate the pointer it and dial ll in unison. In a similar manner, a pin I66 couples the pointer '12 with the dial it? to insure the rotation of the two in unison and yet permit in the drawings, the hub 81 rotates the pinion 88 through the agency of a friction spring 96. When by means of the key 8&3 through a train of gears the pinion 38 is rotated in the opposite direction,

it will slip over the friction spring. Besides, the

hub 8? which is driven with the gear wheel 85 in one direction, is free to rotatewith respect thereto in the opposite direction.

When it is desired to set the visible second hand, then the long, square end BI is inserted in the keyhole 82, whereby the pinion 84 will be depressed against the tension of spring 85 until shoulder Bi on the key engages th clock casing The pinion 84 will now be in engagement with the pinion 93 which drives the gear 55 and thus the visible seconds hand 6%. carrying the pinion 83 is also coupled with its pinion 95 through a friction coupling like the one shown in Fig. 5*, whereby the gear train which leads to the motor will not be affected and the gear train leading to the elapsed tim printing independent vertical movements of dial and pointer.

The T-piece i532 carries also a printing block lil'i (Fig. 9) on which the serial number of the deviceappears, in the present case 134.

The arbors iol, W3 and ti t project through the top plate 55 and bottom plate 222 of the clockwork proper. Below plate 222 these arbors project through out out portions of a pull-back M3. The central opening through said plate isextended into a hub Mi and is large enough to permit free passage of arbor ms. The two side openings are smaller than arbors I93 and i974- and they engage these arbors at grooves I42 and [(53, respectively. A pin 44 projects from the arbor it! through a relatively large opening Hi5 of the hub MI. The lower end of arbor it! freely projects through pointer lifter H5. The lower ends of the arbors I93, I34 rest on the pointer lifter.

. When, under the control of the double bell crank arm 35 the projecting free end of arbor NH is lifted up, then this motion will be transmitted through'pin its, hub ltl, to pull back plate :5,

" and the latter will be moved up with the arbor The shaft 9d Ilfll until it encounters the upper ends of the groov 5'32 and 33in arbors H33, its. From this point on the pull-back Mil will move the arbors Hi3 and ifitin unison with the arbor Hill. It will be seen, therefore, that first the two elapsed time dials i6 and i! will be moved by means of the T-piece' Hi2 on. which their hubs l6 and H rest (Figs. 3 and 9), and shortly thereafter ,as determined by the width of the grooves E52, lit, the pointers Z6 and 12 will be moved up. As clearly shown in Fig. 3 the dials Band I] willbe leading the associated pointers 1!! and i2 and only the dials will leave their imprint on the ticket because there is a clearance between the bottom of each pointer and the dial cut by which it is lifted.

The operator will now permit lever It to return to its normal position and the T-piece I62, as well as arbors I93, I64 and dials I6 and i1, will drop down into the normal position by gravity aided by a coiled spring it? provided on the arbor I111.

The operator may now remove the ticket and use the same instrument for making records on other tickets. When the operation which it is desired to record on ticket 4 is completed, then this particular ticket (Fig. 13) is reinserted into the ticket slot as above described, and the operator will rotate the left-hand lever 28 forward into the position indicated in dotted lines 28 in Fig. 1. This will rotate (Figs. 8-10) through head 29 to which lever 23 is keyed, the stub shaft 21 in the same manner as stub shaft 26 was rotated under the control of lever 18. Through arm 24 which projects from casting 25, a link I68 pivoted to the arm 24 at I69 is moved as viewed in Figs. 8 and 9, from left to right. The other end of the link I63 is pivoted at IIO to an upstanding arm III of a single bell crank, mounted for rotation on the shaft 41. The second arm of this single bell crank is shown at I I2.

A spring II 2 has one end hooked to the pin I I projecting through the arm I I I, and its other end to the pin 26 by means of which the casting 25 is pinned to shaft 21. The pin, therefore, will tend to rotate the single bell crank III, II2 and the casting 25 so as to restore them to the normal position when the handle 28 is released.

When the crank arm H2 is lifted, an adjustment screw II3 provided near its end, engages the end of a short post II4 projecting from the lower face of pointer lifter H5. This will move vertically the two arbors I63 and I64. The pointers If! and I2 will be lifted and at the same time the pull-back I48 resting on the lower edges of grooves I42 and I43, will also be lifted against the tension of spring IOI. This will continue until the lower edge of the hole I 45 in hub I4I of the pull-back I40 engages the pin I44 and lifts, through said pin, the arbor IBI, T-piece I62 and the dials mounted thereon. Therefore, in this case, the pointers I6 and I2 will be leading the dials I1 and I6 by a length determined by the diameter of hole I45 and thus they will leave their imprint (Fig. 14) rather than the dials on the ticket.

On the pointer lifter H5 is mounted an arbor I IS, the upper end of which carries a printing block I20 which will imprint on the ticket 4 the numeral 134 of the machine, but in the position indicated in Fig. 19.

The appearance of the ticket will now be as shown in Fig. 15. The purpose of the circles which are printed with the pointers ID and I2 is to indicate on the ticket whether it was correctly placed in the ticket slot so as to make sure that the relationship between the pointer indications I0 and I2, and the seconds and minutes scales I1 and I6 will be correct. If the circles are concentric with the dots then the ticket was correctly placed.

From the finished ticket one can determine that it was first placed in device "134 and, therefore, the operation in question was started at 3:45 P. M., and that one minute and twentythree seconds had elapsed before the ticket was again inserted into the same device 134 and the lever 28 pulled to indicatethe termination of the operation in question.

A coiled drag spring M6 is provided on the arbor I63 to prevent accidental displacement thereof by shocks or jars (Fig. 3).

It will be noted that the configuration of the device is rectangular, and that the entire mechanism is compact, whereby it readily lends itself for mounting within narrow confines, e. g., on telephone switchboards.

Briefly to summarize the operation of the machine, when the operator inserts a ticket in the chamber II below the platen holder I6, she will first push the lever I8 into the position I8 (Fig. 1) whereupon the time of day will be printed on the ticket as shown in Fig. 11 through the operation of the time-of-day printin mechanism SI, 52, 53, I5. She will then pull the lever I8 into the position I8 (Fig. l) whereupon the seconds and minutes elapsed time dials will be printed on the ticket as shown in Fig. 12 by means of dials I6 and II and the pointers I0, I2 (Fig. '7). The serial number of the machine will also be printed on the ticket by means of the dial I61.

The operator then removes the ticket and the machine will be available for operation on other tickets. When it is desired to indicate the elapsed time, the first-mentioned ticket is again placed in the machine and the lever 28 is moved towards the operator into the position 28 whereupon the minutes and seconds elapsed time pointers I6 and I2 (Fig. 7) will make their imprint on the ticket (Fig. 14) so that the ticket will be as shown in 15. The serial number will again be printed on the lower portion of the ticket so that it will clearly appear that the ticket was originally placed in the same machine. From the information appearing on the ticket, one can read off that the operation was started at 3:15 a. m. and that the total elapsed time was one minute and 23 seconds.

What is claimed is:

1. In combination, an inking ribbon, a printing dial on one side of said ribbon, means for operating said dial, a printing platen on the other side of said ribbon and spaced therefrom for the insertion of a ticket between the ribbon and the platen, means for pressing said dial against the ribbon, and a ticket plate having a cut-out in alignment with the ribbon and a raised portion along said cut-out gradually to lift the ticket towards the platen as it is slid on the ticket plate into the space between the ribbon and the platen.

2. In combination, a frame, a motor within said frame, an inking ribbon within said frame, means for stretching said ribbon horizontally along the top of said frame, printing dials and cooperating pointers below said ribbon, an operating connection between said dials and pointers and said motor, a printing platen and holding means therefor above said ribbon, said platen being spaced from said ribbon for the insertion of a ticket between them, means for pressing said dials and pointers against the horizontally stretched portion of the ribbon, a guide for said ticket in the platen holder, a stop for the leading edge of the ticket in the platen holder, and a ticket plate on top of said frame having a cutout in alignment with the horizontally stretched ribbon and a raised portion along said cut-out gradually to lift the ticket towards the platen as it is slid on the ticket plate into the space between the ribbon and the platen.

HENRY ABBOTT. WILLIAM C. MOODIE. 

